Mad Max: Fury Road – 3

Ridiculous to the max. A two-hour chase scene without the distraction of character, plot or dialogue.

Far From the Madding Crowd – 7

 

There was no need to make Sgt. Troy look like an untrustworthy cad, with a mustache that drooped over his upper lip, supercilious eyes and foppish clothes. We knew, without that, that he nowhere the equal of the telegraphically named Gabriel Oak, but this was typical of the unsubtle approach of director Thomas Vinterberg to the Thomas Hardy novel. The movie itself, however, was not without its period charms, most notably Carey Mulligan’s beautiful, expressive face. I was reminded of Reese Witherspoon and Wild: spending two hours watching Carey Mulligan was never less than pleasant.